Bangor Council Looks To Block Charter Schools

Charter schools likely won’t be built in Bangor any time soon. On Monday, the city council discussed a moratorium on issuing the documents that incoming charter schools need to begin construction. If approved, City officials plan to use that time to change existing law to eliminate the harm that, they say, charter schools could have on the community. According to council documents, the average charter school takes away $9,000 per student, in state and local funding, away from the Bangor School Department. Maine law does allow the schools, but councilors don’t think funding has been adequately addressed. The Government Operations Committee meeting will take up the issue at their next meeting on June 11th. The council also adopted a resolve, establishing a position in opposition to charter schools under Maine law. They’re calling on state legislators to review issues of financing, local government control, and curriculum oversight. Also at that meeting, the council approved the Bangor School Departments $42,000,000 budget, after some debate. Some councilors asked for a $120,000 reduction but that amendment was defeated. The budget will be decided on by voters on June 18th.